


Time Is An Illusion

by Ravenclaw_Peredhel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And happy go lucky, And with Muggle jokes, Armageddon, Arthur is a little shit, Auror Draco Malfoy, Auror Neville Longbottom, Auror Ron Weasley, Awesome Morgana (Merlin), BAMF Ginny Weasley, BAMF Narcissa Black Malfoy, Baby Teddy Lupin, Cassandra is just sad, Cute Teddy Lupin, Depression, Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter Friendship, End of the World, F/M, Female Harry Potter, General stuff in the life of Cassandra, Good Lucius Malfoy, Good Morgana (Merlin), Good Narcissa Black Malfoy, Good Parent Narcissa Black Malfoy, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Harry Potter Raises Teddy Lupin, He's like Fred and George, Hermione Granger & Harry Potter Friendship, Hermione Granger is a Good Friend, Hufflepuff & Slytherin Inter-House Friendships, Hufflepuff Ron Weasley, Implied/Referenced Suicide, It's surprisingly hard, Luna Lovegood is a Good Friend, Merlin & Morgana Friendship (Merlin), Merlin is a good step-godparent to Teddy, Merlin is just trying to stop his friends letting big bad destroy the world, Merlin is so done, Minor Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Minor Lucius Malfoy/Narcissa Black Malfoy, Minor Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Morgana is very irresponsible, Mostly because Arthur accidentally ruined all the notes they could use, Neville Longbottom is a Good Friend, Only blond, Protective Merlin, Pureblood Culture (Harry Potter), Pureblood Harry Potter, Pureblood Lily Evans Potter, Pureblood Politics (Harry Potter), Pureblood Society (Harry Potter), Quidditch Player Ginny Weasley, Raising Teddy Lupin, Ravenclaw Hermione Granger, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Ron Weasley is a Good Friend, Seer Luna Lovegood, She's like Tonks without the responsibility, Sirius Black Free from Azkaban, Sirius Black Raises Harry Potter, Slytherin Harry Potter, Suicidal Harry, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Supportive Narcissa Black Malfoy, Villain is not Morgana, Well it is now, and clumsy, is that even a thing, mostly - Freeform, you know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-14
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27560251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenclaw_Peredhel/pseuds/Ravenclaw_Peredhel
Summary: Cassandra Potter is exhausted.She's nineteen, one of the weathiest and most powerful witches in the world and probably the most famous. No matter how great her friends are, the fact remains that they are moving on, living their lives. The only reason she keeps going is her little godson Teddy and her friends.When she finds that a terrible evil great enough to call back the Once and Future King is threatening the world, it is quite probably the best thing that has happened to her in a long time. At least she won't be bored.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy & Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy & Merlin (Merlin), Draco Malfoy/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood & Merlin (Merlin), Merlin (Merlin) & Ron Weasley, Merlin (Merlin)/Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom/Luna Lovegood, Teddy Lupin & Andromeda Black Tonks, Teddy Lupin & Harry Potter
Comments: 8
Kudos: 30





	Time Is An Illusion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jolenelopez0330](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jolenelopez0330/gifts).



> Warning:  
> This is not a cheerful story. There are some triggers, I will attempt to put specific ones in the notes before the chapters, but in general there is going to be depression, suicide and general mental unhealthiness stemming from PTSD and grief.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning:  
> Depression, suicide attempts, suicide, thoughts of suicide, grief, unhealthy coping mechanisms.

Cassandra woke up to the sun streaming in through the windows, birds singing in the trees, two-year-old Teddy gurgling happily in his crib and a generally beautiful spring day. She wanted to cry. 

Today was the anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. Also known as the day Fred died. The day she stopped laughing. The day her world had so nearly ended in a blessed flash of green light. She had been so relieved in the woods, believing that she would be finally reunited with her Fred. 

Dumbledore had sent her back, had taken away her choice. Now she could not die. She had tried. Everything. Knives, bullets, drowning, beheading, the Killing Curse, being crushed. Of all the things that she loathed the old manipulator for, it was that. He had sent her to Petunia. Fine. She could deal with Muggles. He had imprisoned Sirius. Fine. Sirius broke out, was proved innocent and then raised her. He had engineered her death. Fine. She had no more interest in living after seeing so much death. But he stopped her from ever seeing Fred again. Just for that, she vowed to never forgive him. If only she could die, could end it all.

''Mama! Mama! Up!" Teddy's insistent demand penetrated her thoughts. She blinked and got up automatically, lifting him and taking him to the window. It was a beautiful spring day, she thought bitterly. How dared anything be so beautiful when Fred was gone? She didn't even get to say goodbye. They had argued before they parted for the battle, over something stupid, and had stormed off. They had never seen each other again. She had been cruel, been deliberately wounding and he had died. How could she go on like this? How could she stand it? "Mama. Mama no sad. Mama." Little hands patted her cheeks and she came out of her reverie, almost surprised to find herself crying, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clutched Teddy to herself. Little arms wound around her, and a wet kiss was planted on her cheek. "No cry Mama."

She smiled and hugged him tighter. As always, she had forgotten why she kept getting up day after day, why she had given up on death. Her friends had tried everything, but only Teddy had managed to even shift the shadows that clouded her once bright eyes. So, Andromeda had signed custody over to Cassandra, and before Cassandra knew it, Teddy was blood-adopted and installed in her little wing of Malfoy Manor. And she began to smile again. "Alright teddy bear. I won't cry any more." Teddy squealed as she swung him around, trying to block out the memories that crowded into her mind, of Fred lying there, so cold and still, of...

She hugged her little Teddy, her little miracle to her and danced around the room with him. A knock on the door was followed by a dreamy voice. "Cass, you need to get dressed. I can dress Teddy if you want to." Cassandra sighed and blinked away the ever present tears. Dressing meant acknowledging that another day had begun. Another day without Fred. Another day alone. Soft arms encircled her and blond hair obscured her view. "It will be alright in the end."

"How?" Luna merely smiled enigmatically in response to her anguished query and took Teddy.

"Get dressed Cass. I'll look after Teddy." All of her friends and extended family had moved into Malfoy Manor after the war, even with the stern disapproval, and in some cases outright forbiddance, of their families - Neville, Luna, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Andromeda. They had done it for her, when she was rushed to St. Mungo's every other day, not dead. When she had been found with her throat slit but still alive in her little flat. When the giant squid had gently placed her body on the banks, weighted down with lead and with no Bubblehead charm. When her usually almost glowing green eyes were so dull that they seemed like the glass dusty marbles of stuffed animals. They loved her and they cared for her.

She slowly took off her nightgown and hung it methodically on a hook. Just as carefully, she showered and then dried her hair. A simple green blouse and long skirt, and a Combing Charm to her hair. Fred had loved her wild firey mane, had loved her. A sharp stab of pain ran through her and she ruthlessly pinched herself to prevent breaking down. Not now. "Cass, Teddy wants you." As always, Luna had timing second to none. Probably because she was a Seer. Luna smiled as her friend re-emerged, gently shoving her son at her. Cassandra automatically took the toddler and bounced him as he gurgled. "Here. Wipe your eyes." A handkerchief was gently pressed into Cassandra's free hand and she sniffed before wiping her eyes as instructed.

"Thanks Luna. I don't know what I'd do without you. I just miss him so much. It feels like there's a constant ache, pulling at me, and I can't follow it. It's eating me up Luna, and I don't know what to do." Luna smiled in her enigmatic way and pressed a hand over her friend's mouth.

"Live Cass. Live. And go for a walk. The Cornish countryside is beautiful and wild around Tintagel I hear." 

"Luna, what did you See?'' 

"Healing.'' Was Luna's mysterious reply, before she gently steered her friend to the family dining room of Malfoy Manor.

*************

"Are you sure you'll be alright Cassandra?"

"Yes."

"You don't want to take a mirror or anything?" Cassandra rolled her eyes at Andromeda and Narcissa's mothering. She hadn't tried to join Fred for over a year, why were they so worried. 

"Look, I'll leave Teddy and take a Portkey and a mirror. Happy?"

Her walk was quite nice actually. Tintagel was very old, and it was once very beautiful. But after Arthur's death, no spell could prevent it's decay. Trying to repair it merely hastened the process. In the end, the wizards gave up. The beautiful old castle was now a ruin. 

But the cliffs still dropped ominously to the wild sea below and the wind was sharp and cold. It seemed to enter the very soul, and blow away the cobwebs. It made her feel wild and free in a way she had not felt since Fred's death. But it also made her feel trapped. This world, the beauty in it....Fred could never see anything like it again. Fred was gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. 

She flung out her arms and screamed, her rage and pain filling the air around her as she stood on the clifftop. It felt good to scream, to let out the swirling emotions that stung her like shards of glass. A large piece of cliff detatched from the rest and fell the long distance to the sea. Cassandra looked longingly at the water. How easy it once would have been to just step forwards and end it. She turned away resolutely and dashed away her tears. 

The forests near Tintagel were warded against Muggles. Muggles would just destroy them, could not be trusted with them. No one had ever found the heart of the wood - the edges sure, but the heart? It was as though it did not exist.

Cassandra walked dtraight into the wood, enjoying the quiet, waiting feel. The sun passed through the leaves and fell gently on the grass. And everything was quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So just to clarify things, Draco and Cassandra are second cousins.  
> Cassandra is Teddy's second cousin once removed and Draco is Teddy's first cousin once removed. The blood adoptions of Cassandra by Sirius and Teddy by Cassandra muddied things a little though, so Cassandra and Draco end up double second cousins and Cassandra is simultaneously Teddy's second cousin once removed and his mother and Draco simultaneously Teddy's first cousin once removed and his second or third cousin once removed.  
> I think.
> 
> https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/790241065868732392/ Cassandra's outfit. This also looks a bit like her.


End file.
